Bouquet Canyon

A fire that burned through 610 acres of brush in Angeles National Forest, forcing the evacuation of nearly 200 people, was declared out Monday morning. U.S. Forest Service officials said the fire, which they suspect was deliberately set, centered on mostly steep terrain in the Bouquet Canyon area northeast of Santa Clarita. It was contained at 6 p.m. Sunday and controlled by 6 a.m. Monday.

Los Angeles County supervisors proclaimed a state of local emergency Tuesday in Bouquet Canyon, an unincorporated area in Santa Clarita Valley, paving the way for officials to take flood control measures without going through the usual permitting process. Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose district includes Bouquet Canyon, said a series of fires and storm events have led to a buildup of sediment in Bouquet Canyon Creek. That reduces its carrying capacity, which results in water flooding Bouquet Canyon Road after heavy rains, Antonovich said.

A fire that burned more than 600 acres of brush in the Angeles National Forest was declared out this morning. Firefighters were mopping up and pulling equipment out while investigators, who suspect arson, continued their work. Alice Allen, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, said the fire, which was centered in steep terrain in the Bouquet Canyon area northeast of Santa Clarita, was contained at 6 p.m. Sunday and controlled by 6 a.m. today.

Newly released federal and state wildfire reports offer a grim assessment on threats to life, homes and drinking water supplies if hard rains hit steep slopes charred in last month's wildfires. Those most at risk appear to be residents of rural eastern Orange County, portions of Bouquet Canyon and Val Verde in Los Angeles County, and vacation homes in the Angeles and San Bernardino national forests, according to the reports and government officials.

There was a time when most everybody in Bouquet Canyon knew the story of Flush Toilet Mary and her tragic demise. The name stuck after Mary bragged that she was the first person in the canyon to have a genuine flush toilet installed in her cabin. And when she died at the hands of her third husband, who had flown into a jealous rage, Mary became part of local folklore. In her day, she was the talk of the canyon. That was nearly 40 years ago.

The Bouquet Canyon Reservoir in the mountains above Saugus may be opened for recreation following a pilot program by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to determine if swimming and boating would damage the water quality. Under the pilot program, the DWP opened the eastern portion of the three-square-mile reservoir earlier this month to water skiing, canoeing and sailing classes conducted by California State University, Northridge.

Mother Nature apparently has it in for the Big Oaks Lodge in Bouquet Canyon. A mammoth oak tree crashed onto the roof of the rural landmark this week--the latest in a string of natural disasters that have plagued the colorful, turn-of-the century bar and restaurant in recent years. The five-story oak toppled at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, a mighty cr-r-rack its only warning to the bartender and the three customers inside.

When I sit down and actually think about a prison being built two miles away from my home in Saugus, I just can't believe it! What an absurd idea Mayor Bradley has! To build a prison up Bouquet Canyon (our only access out of the alley) would cause a bottleneck of traffic unrealized. And, to top things off, the prison would be standing about two miles in radius of Saugus High School, churches, and numerous new family dwellings. We cannot let a "Big House" full of murderers, thieves and rapists ruin our Santa Clarita Valley.

Environmentalists and developers in Santa Clarita are once again battling it out, this time about whose interests will be paved over by an eight-lane expressway connecting the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways. California 126, a nine-mile, limited-access highway, is proposed by the California Department of Transportation to alleviate traffic congestion projected over the next 20 years in the fast-growing Santa Clarita Valley.

A raging wildfire swept through the rural community of Leona Valley on Tuesday afternoon, destroying five homes and sending residents running for their lives as more than 2,500 firefighters battled blazes in San Gabriel Mountains brush and timberland parched by one of the driest years on record. "A wave of flames came over our heads," said Leona Valley resident Tony Siro. "We all ran for safety. The firefighters were hiding behind their equipment. It was your worst nightmare."

A raging wildfire swept through the rural community of Leona Valley on Tuesday afternoon, destroying five homes and sending residents running for their lives as more than 2,500 firefighters battled blazes in San Gabriel Mountains brush and timberland parched by one of the driest years on record. "A wave of flames came over our heads," said Leona Valley resident Tony Siro. "We all ran for safety. The firefighters were hiding behind their equipment. It was your worst nightmare."

Los Angeles County's largest brush fire of the season burned 110 acres Saturday in Bouquet Canyon, north of Santa Clarita. About 300 firefighters, some from as far away as Carson and Whittier, battled the blaze, which started about 2:50 p.m. near the 29000 block of Bouquet Canyon Road, a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher said. By 6:30 p.m., officials reported the fire was 80% contained, with full containment expected about 9 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Progress in this booming construction zone is heard before it is seen. It begins in the predawn darkness with the low growl of engines warming, then erupts into a roar as dozens of giant yellow earth graders, backhoes and bulldozers launch into a synchronized march, gnawing at the straw-colored earth. Dwarfed by the vastness of the land and finally illuminated by daybreak, the machines snake like Tonka Toys in a conga line, redefining the landscape of San Francisquito Canyon.

A man was killed and a woman injured in an automobile accident in Bouquet Canyon on Saturday night, authorities said. A car driven by a man in his 20s overturned after it collided with a pickup on Vasquez Canyon Road near Bouquet Canyon Road about 6:20 p.m., authorities said. The man died at the scene, said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Larry Gump. The woman driving the pickup suffered internal injuries and was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, Gump said.

Mother Nature apparently has it in for the Big Oaks Lodge in Bouquet Canyon. A mammoth oak tree crashed onto the roof of the rural landmark this week--the latest in a string of natural disasters that have plagued the colorful, turn-of-the century bar and restaurant in recent years. The five-story oak toppled at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, a mighty cr-r-rack its only warning to the bartender and the three customers inside.

A $1-a-year lease on 10 acres with a view may seem like a deal. But Santa Clarita officials were wary when they agreed to acquire Bouquet Canyon Park for that price. After all, a park is not just a park. It's also a potential nuisance, said Rick Putnam, the city's parks, recreation and community services director. But rather than allow the hilly expanse to be closed, city officials agreed to lease the park from Los Angeles County. Now they are asking the public to help maintain it.

Progress in this booming construction zone is heard before it is seen. It begins in the predawn darkness with the low growl of engines warming, then erupts into a roar as dozens of giant yellow earth graders, backhoes and bulldozers launch into a synchronized march, gnawing at the straw-colored earth. Dwarfed by the vastness of the land and finally illuminated by daybreak, the machines snake like Tonka Toys in a conga line, redefining the landscape of San Francisquito Canyon.

As Pat Greutert's motherly voice echoed through the fire-ravaged canyon, everyone stopped to listen. Across the street, in the rubble of her home, 74-year-old Margaret Barnard looked up from the chipped remains of her grandmother's flowery Havilland china. Nearby, Kaye and Gerrie Kilburn paused from sweeping ashes from their burned-to-the-ground home. "Telephone!" Greutert, 65, called out, cupping her hands so she could be heard from her driveway. "Kaye! Kaye!"

As Pat Greutert's motherly voice echoed through the fire-ravaged canyon, everyone stopped to listen. Across the street, in the rubble of her home, 74-year-old Margaret Barnard looked up from the chipped remains of her grandmother's flowery Havilland china. Nearby, Kaye and Gerrie Kilburn paused from sweeping ashes from their burned-to-the-ground home. "Telephone!" Greutert, 65, called out, cupping her hands so she could be heard from her driveway. "Kaye! Kaye!"

Environmentalists and developers in Santa Clarita are once again battling it out, this time about whose interests will be paved over by an eight-lane expressway connecting the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways. California 126, a nine-mile, limited-access highway, is proposed by the California Department of Transportation to alleviate traffic congestion projected over the next 20 years in the fast-growing Santa Clarita Valley.